Instrument carrying case



Dec. 4, 1962 J. 'r. ARMBRUSTER 3,066,790

INSTRUMENT CARRYING CASE Filed Nov; 13, 1961 IN V EN TOR. JOHN 7. ARMBPUSTEP aired htates haircut $356,799 Patented Dec. 4,, l9fi2 fire 3,066,790 INSTRUMENT CARRYING CASE John T. Armhruster, Niagara Falls, N.Y., assignor to American ()ptical Company, Southhridge, Mass. Filed Nov. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 151,734 6 Claims. (Cl. lilo-d) This invention relates to instrument storage and carrying cases, and more particularly to an improved storage and carrying case especially adapted for use with precision instruments which are preferably stored and carried in upright position.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved carrying case for use with precision instruments, such as microscopes, which with improved facility receives and supports such instruments in upright position for storage and carrying purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved instrument carrying case as aforesaid which is unloaded and loaded from the top thereof, and which provides stable support for the enclosed instrument in vertical position during the operations of opening or closing the case.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a carrying case as aforesaid which is so shaped as to minimize the possibility that the case might be inadvertently carried or stored in any attitude other than with the enclosed instrument in upright position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the detailed description hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing wherein:

PEG. 1 is a front elevational view of a storage and carrying case of the invention;

MG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG.

1 shown partially in section as indicated by line IilI in FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IVlV of FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding partially to FIG. 2 but showing the case in its open position.

The carrying case of the invention consists primarily of a pair of generally half-shell shaped case portions 19 and 12 which are conveniently molded of plastic or metal or otherwise fabricated, and are hingedly interconnected at their bottom edges as by a hinge device 13. Each case part is provided at its upper end with a half-handle portion as indicated at 14, 16, the handle portions being either molded integrally with the case parts or separately formed and attached thereto. The half-handle portions 14, 16 are so designed that when the case is closed the handle parts mate to provide a single self-locking type handle. (FIGS. 2, 3.) The peripheral edge of the shell 12 is formed with a flange portion 20 to receive in lapped relation the marginal edge of the shell 14 as shown in FIG. 4.

As stated hereinabove, one of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a case particularly suited for use with precision instruments which are to be stored and carried and at all times maintained in upright position. For this purpose the interior floor structure of the case is formed by false bottom wall portions 22-44 conveniently comprising integral continuations of the shell members and 12, respectively. The false bottom walls are so bent that the portions thereof remote from the hinge l8 cooperate in mutual alignment to provide a level supporting fioor for the enclosed instrument as indicated at 25 when the case is in its closed position as shown in FIG. 2. The bent inner sections 23, 24 of the bottom wall portions horizontally align and present an alternative instrument supporting surface when the case is open, as shown in FIG. 5. The ridges formed at the lines of intersection of the two fioor portions of each of the half-shells l0 and 12 are arranged to be in substantially parallel relation and the instrument is thereby supported in continuously level attitude by the spaced ridges which are in sliding engagement with the bottom of the instrument during opening and closing movement of the two shell portions. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the case shell portions are provided with radiused external skid-foot portions 26, 26 upon which the floor forming parts of the case rest and rock when the case is being opened or closed.

Thus an instrument being carried in the closed case (FIG. 2) is supported in vertical attitude by the floor portions 22, 24 while at the same time being hugged inside the vertical walls of the case sections against positional shifting. Then when the case is opened, as to the position shown in FIG. 5, the instrument is exposed for examination or removal while being supported in the same vertical attitude by the inner floor portions 23, 25. Thus, the instrument may now be readily removed or loaded by simply lifting or lowering it vertically out of or into the case.

While only one specific form of the invention has been illustrated and described by way of example herein, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto, but is capable of assuming other physical embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A carrying and storage case comprising; two complementary case portions each having a bottom wall portion comprising a series of continuously but angularly related support surfaces, said case portions being hingedly interconnected at contiguous edges of their bottom wall portions, whereby when said case is closed one set of said support surfaces comprising one of the support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide coplanar supports for supporing an instrument thereon, while when said case is in open position another set of support surfaces comprising others of said support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar support for said instrument.

2. A carrying and storage case comprising; two complementary case portions each having a bottom wall portion comprising two continuously but angular-1y related support surfaces, said case portions being hingedly interconnected at contiguous edges of their bottom wall portions, whereby when said case is closed one set of said support surfaces comprising one of the two support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar supports for supporting an instrument thereon, While when said case is in open position a second set of support surfaces comprising the other of said support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar support for said instrument.

3. A carrying and storage case comprising; two complementary case portions each having a bottom wall portion comprising two continuously but angularly related support surfaces forming a ridge portion at their juncture, said case portions being hingedly interconnected at contiguous edges of their bottom wall portions, whereby when said case is closed one set of said support surfaces comprising one of the two support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar supports for supporting an instrument thereon, while when said case is in open position a second set of support. surfaces comprising the other of said support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar support for said instrument, said case portions having at their upper ends complementary shaped half-handle devices cooperating when said case is closed to provide a carrying handle.

aoeereo 4. A carrying and storage case comprising; two con plementary case portions each having a bottom wall portion comprising two continuously but angularly related support surfaces forming a ridge portion at their juncture, said case portions being hinge-dly interconnected at contiguous edges of their bottom Wall portions, whereby when said case is closed one set of said support surfaces comprising one of the two support surface from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar supports for supporting an instrument thereon, while when said case is in open position a second set of support surfaces comprising the other of said support surfaces from each of said case portions cooperate to provide co-planar support for said instrument, said case portions having at their upper ends complementary shaped half-handle devices cooperating when said case is closed to provide a carrying handle, and foot devices extending downwardly from said bottom wall portions for level support of said case upon flat surfaces.

5. An instrument carrying case comprising a pair of complementary dished sections, each presenting an open side bounded by a parting edge, the parting edges being normally disposed in abutting relation so that the dished sections define an enclosure for housing a precision instrument such as a microscope, hinge means joining said parting edges at the bottoms of said dished sections to permit said sections to be disposed in upwardly divergent, open position as opposed to the above stated normal,

closed position, each sections having a bottom wall and said sections, when in the stated normal position, each having their bottom Walls presenting a secondary supporting surface sloping upwardly from the bottom parting edge and a primary supporting surface beyond the corresponding secondary supporting surfaces, located above the bottom parting edges, and with the primary supporting surfaces of the two sections being co-planar and cooperatively providing an interrupted supporting platform all as when the sections are in the normal, closed position, foot means on the underside of each section extending below the bottom parting edges of the sections when in the normal, closed position so as to provide a stable support for the case, and the angle of slope of said secondary supporting surfaces being such that when the sections are in open position with such secondary supporting surfaces coplanar, the upper ends of the sections are spread sufliciently to enable the encased instru ment to be cleared therethrough.

6. The case as defined in claim 5 wherein the primary and secondary supporting surfaces of each section intersect at the same distance from the pivotal axis of the hinge means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,945,582 Abraham et al July 19, 1960 

